Vila Madalena (1999–2000)

Two couples have their destinies intertwined after their happiness is unexpectedly interrupted. This is the starting point of the telenovela, which shares the same name as the São Paulo neighborhood where the story takes place. Solano Xavier is a man of humble origins who never had the chance to obtain a formal education. Unemployed for months, he celebrates with his wife Eugênia the fact that he has landed a temporary job as a truck driver. She reciprocates the good news by telling him she is pregnant. Solano, however, falls victim to a trap: unknowingly, he is transporting contraband goods on one of his trips. Detained by the police, he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Throughout the telenovela, Solano discovers that Arthur is the main person responsible for the scheme that led to his imprisonment.